Kelly Services Inc., through its subsidiary Motion Recruitment, has released the 2026 Tech Salary Guide, offering detailed analysis of compensation trends and workforce dynamics in the IT sector. The report highlights that while average tech salaries in the U.S. remained nearly flat with a 0.8% increase year-over-year, specialized roles saw substantial pay growth. Notably, mid-level AI engineers experienced the highest salary increases at 9.2%, followed by senior platform engineers at 8.9%, mid-level Salesforce developers at 8.5%, machine learning engineers at 7%, and senior data warehouse developers at 5.8%. The guide also notes a slowdown in hiring for entry-level IT positions due to AI adoption, increased candidate fraud, and a continued debate between job seekers and employers over flexible work arrangements. The analysis emphasizes that hands-on experience, ongoing upskilling, and demonstrated expertise are key factors for career advancement in today's evolving tech market.